In last weekend's action at Croke Park football and hurling enthusiasts were treated to two of the greatest games of the championships so far. The Kerry/ Galway game on Saturday helped to demonstrate what a great game Gaelic football can be when played in the proper spirit.

Here we had two counties who still embrace the old values and they provided seventy minutes of rich entertainment despite the appalling conditions. Hopefully other team managers will have taken notice and be tempted to take a leaf out of the book of Liam Sammon and Pat O'Shea. The first game was memorable but for different reasons. Great credit must be given to Wexford for the manner in which they have recovered from the mauling by Dublin in the Leinster final. I'm sure they are looking forward to a repeat and the opportunity to show that they did not do themselves justice in that final.

The Cork/Kildare game was a funny sort of game. With fifteen minutes played one was visualizing a run away win but Cork suddenly seemed to lose focus and had to endure some worrying times near the end. A similar performance in the next game will not suffice but, of course, Cork footballers always seem to follow a bad performance with a good one and visa versa.

Our hurlers just were not good enough for a superb Kilkenny outfit that played larger than life hurling in that opening half. Cork strove manfully but just could not stay with them.

We surely saw the end of an era in Croke Park on Sunday as it is very doubtful if we will ever see some of the Cork veterans at Headquarters again. It's a reminder, yet again, of the harsh truth that "time and tide waits for no man".

They have had a marvellous innings but, sadly, their race would appear to be run. There is a big rebuilding job to be done and hopefully Gerald McCarthy will stay to undertake that task and put his own distinctive stamp on affairs.

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